Tux Machines

There Is No “Commercial” Open Source – Only Open Source

Posted by Rianne Schestowitz on Dec 10, 2025

Quoting: There Is No “Commercial” Open Source – Only Open Source – toscalix —

Open source is built on shared principles. The definition is part of these “commons”. When people blur or stretch the definition, they weaken the trust that has made open source what it is today. In my view, defending the definition is not about being a purist. It is about protecting the foundations that made open source successful in the first place.

Lately I see an increasing number of companies using the term COSS to hide license changes or restrictions. People repeating the term, claiming that is harmless for open source but needed for positioning their business in specific markets, while being perceived as “open”. I cannot help but being suspicious about anyone trying to blur or “qualify” the open source definition. Too may tried the same before, for their own benefit only.

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